Decrease Junk Leads from Meta Lookalikes

Use Primer to feed Meta a high-quality seed list and then layer on anti-persona suppression —so the algorithm correctly hones in on qualified prospects.
Lower down funnel CPL
by filtering out non-ICP clicks
Keep algorithm reach,
ditch algorithm drift
Measure lift instantly—just
compare pre & post quality metrics

Constricting Meta Lookalikes with Exclusion Audiences

The Problem

unqualified search conversions'

The Play: Step-by-Step

Step
1
Build a Quality Seed List
Filter customers by company size, industry, and seniority. Within Primer, use the historical win rates feature to identify which attributes have the highest closed won rate. If building a list outside of Primer, enrich with personal email to match to Meta’s identity graph. Or let Primer take care of the enrichment for you.
Exclusion AudienceSync That Audience to Meta Ad Account
Step
2
Construct an Anti-Persona Audience
Whether in Primer or externally, build a massive list of people to exclude: students, free users, <50-employee firms, irrelevant titles.
Step
3
Launch 1% Lookalikes After Sync
Seed list = Custom Audience; Create a 1% lookalike in the audience manager.
Lead Ads CampaignLead Ads Campaign
Step
4
Ad Lookalikes & Exclusions to Ad Set
Include lookalike audience. Keep Advantage+ Expansion OFF. Make sure to apply exclusions at the ad-set level.
Step
5
A/B Test Lookalikes with Exclusion & without
Compare MQL, CPL, and SQL conversion rates of two ad sets both with the lookalike but one with exclusion and one without. Note: this play will not work for an ABM go-to-market motions. It typically only works for customers with very large addressable markets.
Lead Ads Campaign

Why It Works

Seed list = strong positive signal—Meta hunts people who look like real customers.
Anti-persona = negative fence—prevents drift into cheap yet unqualified segments.
Email enrichment raises match rate so both positive & negative signals actually register.
Use it when you want to trim fat — not muscle.

Results

KPI
Before
(Lookalike Only)
After
(Lookalike + Exclusions)
Lift
Cost per MQL
$50
$16
–68%
SQL Opportunities / 100 Leads
4
40
10k
Match Rate (seed)
38%
62%
+24 pts
Cost per MQL
Before (Lookalike Only)
$50
After (Lookalike + Exclusions)
$16
Lift
–68%
SQL Opportunities /
100 Leads
Before (Lookalike Only)
4
After (Lookalike + Exclusions)
40
Lift
10k
Match Rate (seed)
Before (Lookalike Only)
38%
After (Lookalike + Exclusions)
62%
Lift
+24 pts
Try This Play
Works with Meta, Google Display & YouTube, LinkedIn
Build suppression audiences from 280M
person database
Lists auto-sync—no CSV upkeep
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